Page 135 of The Throne Seeker

Roman fumed, sending a hostile glare in the man’s direction. He clenched his jaw and fists, but nonetheless did as she instructed, slamming the door loudly.

He came face to face with her, and as quick as the anger came, it was gone. He reached for her, cupping her jaw. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?” he asked in a panic as his eyes raked over her.

She placed her hand on his wrist, stopping his frantic movements. “I’m fine,” she reassured him. “He didn’t touch me.”

Roman’s shoulders relaxed but only minutely. “I heard a noise. I came as soon as I felt something was off. How’d he get in?”

“He was already here, hiding in the closet.” She gestured to the open door. “He was waiting for me, like he knew I’d be here.”

Roman glowered. “He probably paid the tavern owner a handsome amount. I should kill them both.”

“Don’t. We don’t need to make any more enemies tonight. If you still feel like killing them in the morning, you can do it then.” She turned away, if only to hide her shaking hands, as she placed her sword back by her bed.

How she loathed these stupid taverns.

“I hate to say it, but there may be more,” Roman said. “I saw too many stares in your direction downstairs. I think it’d be best if I stayed—in case they decide to get drunk and act on their… impulsive thoughts.”

Impulsive thoughtswas a kind way to put it—more like perverted fantasies.

A wave of relief flooded her at his offer. “We can share the bed.”

Roman almost grimaced. “I can take the floor.”

“Don’t be silly.” Rose looked at the state of the floor, covered in a good layer of dust. “These wooden planks are more uncomfortable than hard dirt.”

“I’ll be fine,” he said shortly.

A pang of wounded pride spread through her. “Did you dislike sharing a bed with me so much?”

Roman stilled. “What?”

“I’m pretty sure you’ve looked at spiders with kinder eyes. Was I so horrible to sleep next to?” She fought to keep her voice steady.

“No, it’s just—I don’t want to give you the wrong impression.”

She straightened her shoulders, finally understanding. He was telling her last night was a one-time thing, that it wouldn’t be happening again, that he was only trying to be kind in her moment of need.

She accepted his answer this time as color stained her cheeks. “Oh. Okay, then.”

She avoided his gaze as they set up their bedding, still internally sulking from the fact he couldn’t stand the thought of sleeping next to her. He chose to sleep in front of the door—the farthest place possible. He placed extra blankets down for padding.

She was so exhausted, she was sure she’d fall asleep with no trouble, but soon, the minutes dragged into hours, and still, she couldn’t fall asleep, her mind refusing to turn itself off. Not with her heart still pounding from finding the stranger in her room. She tossed and turned, trying to get comfortable, but to no avail.

She let out an irritated sigh, rolling back over to face the door where Roman lay, expecting him to be long asleep from his silence.

Instead, honey eyes greeted her.

Her cheeks warmed as she quickly averted her eyes and closed them. But after a moment, she could still sense his gaze burning through her eyelids. She opened them again, finding them still locked on her.

She scooted to the edge of the bed. “I can’t sleep,” she whispered through the darkness.

“Neither can I.”

The foreign energy she contained came full force the longer she stared at him. She knew she should turn right back over, but she couldn’t pry her gaze from him. It was as though her body knew how close he was. It hungered for him, for his skin to be on hers like last night. She fought the urge to get up off the bed and lay beside him.

Roman sighed in defeat as he rubbed his eyes. The next thing she knew, he was coming over to her, revealing his white tunic and dark trousers. His face contorted as he edged toward the bed, almost like he was in pain—like it was unthinkable even to approach it. She didn’t say a word as she watched him climb into the sheets, each move slow and precise, taking care not to touch her.

She scooted as far as she could to the other side, turning her back to see if it’d make him more comfortable. She closed her eyes, sure sleep would find her now. However, as more minutes passed, her crazed desire to reach out and touch him only grew, like her body sensed how close he was.